Easson announces his squad – BBC Alba turns up trumps
Three weeks before they appear in Dubai, a Scottish squad of 30 players has been published. Alongside a host of familiar names comes one totally unexpected, Caity Mattinson.
She is the second British player I have spotted taking advantage of World Rugby’s alteration to the nationality regulations. While most rugby people expected to see large numbers of players returning to their native islands of Oceania, few can have foreseen this adjustment inside the British Isles. Last month Carys Williams joined the Wales squad after gaining caps for England in the centre and on the wing. Mattinson made her debut for England in 2017, but later lost her place in the squad after winning seven caps. Under the 3-year rule she can now be added to a strong looking Scottish squad. And she has the best possible claims: she was born in Inverness.
The Squad:
Anne Young (Edinburgh University, 1 cap)
Caity Mattinson (Worcester Warriors, uncapped)
Chloe Rollie (Exeter Chiefs, 44 caps)
Christine Belisle (Loughborough Lightning, 11 caps)
Coreen Grant (Saracens, 1 cap)
Emma Wassell (Loughborough Lightning, 51 caps)
Eva Donaldson (Edinburgh University, uncapped)
Evie Gallagher (Stirling County, 7 caps)
Evie Wills (Hillhead Jordanhill, 2 caps)
Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning, 36 caps)
Jade Konkel (Harlequins, 48 caps)
Jenny Maxwell (Loughborough Lightning 35 caps)
Katie Dougan (Gloucester Hartpury, 14 caps)
Lana Skeldon (Worcester Warriors, 47 caps)
Leah Bartlett (Loughborough Lightning, 11 caps)
Lisa Cockburn (Worcester Warriors, 22 caps)
Lisa Thomson (Sale Sharks, 39 caps)
Liz Musgrove (unattached, 10 caps)
Louise McMillan (Hillhead Jordanhill, 30 caps)
Lyndsay O’Donnell (Worcester Warriors, 15 caps)
Mairi McDonald (Hillhead Jordanhill, 7 caps)
Megan Gaffney (Loughborough Lightning, 38 caps)
Meryl Smith (Edinburgh University, uncapped)
Molly Wright (Sale Sharks, 9 caps)
Rachel Malcolm (captain. Loughborough Lightning, 23 caps)
Rachel McLachlan (Sale Sharks, 23 caps)
Rhona Lloyd (Stade Bordelais, 32 caps)
Sarah Bonar (Harlequins, 25 caps)
Sarah Law (Sale Sharks, 47 caps)
Shona Campbell (Edinburgh University, 1 cap)
Eva Donaldson and Meryl Smith are the other two new faces.
The one missing regular is Hannah Smith who is under suspension, but her absence in Dubai harms Scotland far less than when they appear in New Zealand – and that is a prospect that only hardened gamblers are prepared to deny.
Of course there will still be nerves as they fly out to the Emirates next month, but the odds are firmly on a big win. It will serve as a telling reminder of the huge gaps in standards across the world of rugby. We can only hope that the preceding match, between Colombia and Kazakhstan, will provide tension and excitement. It will certainly have novelty value, and World Rugby can be congratulated for bringing together two such unlikely opponents. The best of luck to them both.
BBC Alba
To add to the good news, BBC Alba will air the match live from Dubai.
Non-Gaelic speakers need have no fear. Our regular commentator, Dr. Hugh Dan McLennan (Ùisdean MacIllFhinnein, if you prefer), is totally bilingual, of course; as often as not his co-commentator will offer only in English. And Gaelic is a delight to listen to.
This is an important extension to the 2018 agreement between the BBC and the SRU for all the Scottish team’s matches to be televised live.
Date: 25 February
